Rubber heel



Oct. 9 1923.

F. J. ALTENKI'RK RUBBER HEEL Filed July 20 1920 VPatented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNITED ST TES PATENT GFFICE.

RUBBER HEEL.

Application led July 20, 1920. Serial No. 397,726.

T o all lwhom it muy concerne Be it known that I, FRANK J. ALTENKIRK, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Heels, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in rubber heels, and has for its object to provide a heel of rubber or like resilient material, made in one piece and so contoured as to be readily flexed for seating in a metallic holder affixed to the bottom of a shoe, from which holder the heel is readily removable for purposes of replacement or repair by reason of its flexibility; the heels for cach pair of shoes being interchangeable to equalize wear.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a heel embodying my invention in place upon the lower face of a shoe.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the heel.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan vicw of the metallicl holder.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of said structure, illustrating the manner in which the heel is flexed for purposes of attachment or removal from its holder.

As shown in the drawings, the plate or holder 9 is secured to the lower face of a shoe 21 by means of screws 10 placed through the holes 22.

The holder 9 has a rea-r finger 11 having the forwardly-projecting flange 12, and front fingers 13--13 each having a rearwardly-projecting flange 14.

The heel 15 has a rear recess 16 to receive the finger 11, and forward recesses 17-17 to receive the fingers 13-13.

Imbedded in the heel 15 are metallic reinforcing plates 18 located above the` points where the flanges 12 and 14 seat in said heel 15. In the upper face of the 'heel 15 is a cavity 19 ,of such form and dimensions (preferably those illustrated in the drawings) as to impart air-cushion quality to the heel 15 and to render it sufliciently flexible to be readily manipulated, as shown in Fig. 5, for seating on or removal from the fingers 11 and 13.

In forming the heel 15 vertical perforations 20 are provided, registering with the holes 22 in the holder 9, the urpose of said perforations 20 being to enab e the heel 15 to be used as a guide for locating and making holes in the shoe-bottom to receive the screws 10.

The heel thus described is readily shifted from one shoe to the other of the same pair, or from one pair of shoes to another, and may be replaced by a new heel when desired. by simple manipulation without the use of tools.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The improvement in rubber heels' comprising a heel-holding plate having a single rear finger with a forwardly-projecting flange, and two front fingers having rearwardly-projecting flanges; and a heel having recesses to engage said 'fingers and a cavity in its upper face, and reinforcing metallic plates imbedded in said heel above its points of contact with' said teeth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

' FRANK J. ALTENKIRK. 

